Collection:LPB

Genre: Newsmagazine

Place Covered: Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1985-07-03

Duration: 00:27:25

Subjects: Politics | Government | Louisiana. Legislature | Louisiana Legislative Session, 1985 | Education | Environment | STATE BUDGET

Contributors:

• Johnson, Ken Host
• Myers, Laura Reporter
• Jackson, Alphonse Speaker
• Thompson, Francis Speaker
• Sumlin, William Speaker
• Reilly, Kevin, Sr. Interviewee
• Madden, Roberta Interviewee
• Windhorst, Fritz Speaker
• Sevario, Joseph Speaker
• Bagert, Ben Interviewee
• Vincent, Ross Interviewee
• Fernandez, Manny Interviewee
• McLeod, William Interviewee
• Newman, Cliff Speaker
• Guarisco, Anthony Speaker
• Kyle, Linda Speaker
• Welch, Mariella Speaker
• Swearingen, Lawson Interviewee
• Newman, Cliff Interviewee

This episode of the series “Louisiana: The State We’re In” from July 3, 1985, features Ken Johnson hosting a daily legislative report on the 1985 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature. Johnson first reports on the day’s headlines. These stories include: the Louisiana Department of State Civil Service filing conspiracy and contempt charges against Superintendent of Education Tom Clausen and two other Department of Education employees in connection to the hiring of five people for jobs they never performed; State Representatives Alphonse Jackson and Francis Thompson debating a bill allowing retired teachers to return to the classroom without a reduction in benefits if the school district is facing a teacher shortage; State Representative William Sumlin testifying on a bill automatically terminating unfunded programs after a specified period of time; an interview with State Representative Kevin Reilly, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, on his concerns about the state budget amendments passed by the Senate; an interview with Roberta Madden of Common Cause on her belief that the Senate Finance Committee violated the open meetings law before approving $100 million in state budget cuts; State Representative Alphonse Jackson speaking on a bill creating an incentive pay plan for teachers; State Senator Fritz Windhorst commending the graduating class of the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts; and State Senator Joseph Sevario presenting his bill related to computerized bingo. Next, Laura Myers reports on the revival of State Senator Ben Bagert’s right to know chemical bill as an amendment to the right to breathe bill. She interviews Senator Bagert, Ross Vincent of the Ecology Center, and State Representative Manny Fernandez. Johnson then reports on State Senator William McLeod invoking senatorial courtesy in order to block three gubernatorial appointments to the Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District after they were photographed with local labor boss Harlan Duhon. His report includes: an interview with Senator McLeod; State Senator Cliff Newman objecting to McLeod’s use of senatorial courtesy in the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee; State Senator Anthony Guarisco questioning two of the appointees, Linda Kyle and Mariella Welch; and an interview with State Senator Lawson Swearingen on the concept of senatorial courtesy. Lastly, Johnson conducts an in-studio interview with Senator Newman, who discusses the reasons he is raising objections to Senator McLeod’s use of senatorial courtesy.